Handling bodies containing bonding material

Abstract

Bodies (22) containing bonding material are applied in a substantially simultaneous manner to each of an array of bonding sites (18). A member (50) holds the bodies (22) in an array corresponding to the array of bonding sites (18). A pickup head (40) holds an array of pickup pins (42) such that pickup ends thereof correspond to the array of bodies (22) and sites (18). A mechanism (31) manipulates the head (40) and the array of pins (42) in steps, to substantially simultaneously engage each of the bodies (22) in the member (50) with a corresponding pickup end of a pin (42), to substantially simultaneously contact each of the bodies (22) to a corresponding bonding site (18) and to substantially simultaneously disengage the pins (42) from the bodies (22). In a preferred embodiment, the bodies (22) contain solder which is readily conductive and frictionally engageable by pressure of the pins (42) upon the bodies (22).

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for substantially simultaneously applying respective ones of bodies containing bonding material to each of an array of bonding sites comprising: means for holding the bodies in an array corresponding to the array of bonding sites;   means for holding an array of pickup pins having pickup ends adapted to frictionally engage the bodies and such array having such pickup ends correspond to the arrays of bodies and sites; and   means for manipulating the array of pins in steps, to substantially simultaneously, frictionally engage each of the bodies with a corresponding pickup end of a pin, to substantially simultaneously contact each of the bodies to a corresponding bonding site and to substantially simultaneously disengage the pins from the bodies.   
     
     
       2. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the bodies contain solder which is readily conductive and frictionally engageable by pressure of the pins upon the bodies and wherein the pins are made of a material which is normally resistant to both ambient corrosion and fusion with solder. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the pins have sharp pickup ends. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the pins are tubular at least at the pickup ends which are sufficiently large to be frictionally engageable with the bodies, yet sufficiently small to block the bodies from entering the tubular ends. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus as in claims 3 or 4, further comprising: means for heating the bonding sites to adheringly fuse the bodies thereto such that the pins are readily disengaged therefrom.   
     
     
       6. Apparatus as in claim 5, further comprising: means for applying flux to the bodies.   
     
     
       7. Apparatus as in claim 5, further comprising: means for applying flux to the bonding sites.   
     
     
       8. Apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising: means for cooling the pins after they are disengaged from the bodies on the sites and before they engage a next array of bodies.   
     
     
       9. A method of substantially simultaneously applying respective ones of bodies containing bonding material to each of an array of bonding sites, comprising: holding the bodies in an array corresponding to the array of bonding sites;   holding an array of pickup pins having pickup ends adapted to frictionally engage the bodies and such array having such pickup ends correspond to the arrays of bodies and sites; and   manipulating the array of pins in steps, including: substantially simultaneously, frictionally engaging each of the bodies with a corresponding pickup end of a pin, substantially simultaneously contacting each of the engaged bodies to a corresponding bonding site and substantially simultaneously disengaging the pins from the bodies.   
     
     
       10. A method as in claim 9, wherein the bodies contain solder which is readily conductive and wherein the manipulating further comprises: frictionally engaging the pins upon the bodies by applying pressure from the pins to the bodies.   
     
     
       11. A method as in claim 10, further comprising the step of: forming the pins of a material which is normally resistant to both ambient corrosion and fusion with solder.   
     
     
       12. A method as in claim 11, wherein the forming step further comprises: forming sharp pickup ends on the pins.   
     
     
       13. A method as in claim 11, wherein the forming step further comprises: forming the pins with tubular pickup ends which are sufficiently large to be frictionally engageable with the bodies yet sufficiently small to block the bodies from entering the tubular ends.   
     
     
       14. A method as in claims 12 or 13, further comprising: heating the bonding sites to adheringly fuse the bodies thereto such that the pins are readily disengaged therefrom.   
     
     
       15. A method as in claim 14, further comprising: applying flux to the bodies.   
     
     
       16. A method as in claim 14, further comprising: applying flux to the bonding sites.   
     
     
       17. A method as in claim 9, further comprising: cooling the pins after they are disengaged from the bodies on the sites and before they engage a next array of bodies.